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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27856337">Fourth Year - The Yule Ball</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvluna2006/pseuds/luvluna2006'>luvluna2006</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boyfriends, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, BoyxBoy, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter - Freeform, Drarry, Drarrython, Great Hall, Gryffindor, HarryPotter - Freeform, Hermione Granger &amp; Harry Potter Friendship, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Hufflepuff, Kissing, Love, M/M, POV Draco Malfoy, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Top Draco Malfoy, Triwizard Tournament, kiss, lovey, ron weasley - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:54:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,396</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27856337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvluna2006/pseuds/luvluna2006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Boyfriend - Relationship, Love - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fourth Year - The Yule Ball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco sat alone at a small table in the Great Hall. Around him were happily dancing couples in colorful dresses and shining smiles. The band was now playing a slow, romantic waltz, and everyone was swaying slowly. Draco, even with years of formal dance lessons, courtesy of his posh family, wasn’t going to join in. There was only one person he wanted to dance with, but they weren’t anywhere to be seen.</p><p>Pansy had left somewhat earlier to get drinks, but Draco assumed that she’d met a handsome Beauxbatons boy and had gone dancing with him. Draco was being uncharacteristically boring, he’d had a small serving of dinner, which wasn’t as good as what he had a home, and then had found a quiet corner to sit in and sulk. He didn’t blame Pansy for leaving.</p><p>Suddenly, he spotted the vivid red hair of what could only have been a Weasley, and he stood up craning his neck to see if the familiar untidy head accompanied it. He was in luck, over the other side of the glittering Great Hall sat Harry Potter and his freckled sidekick. Harry looked rather dashing in his bottle-green dress robes, much unlike Weasley, who was wearing some kind of burned, frilly, dress.</p><p>The two were sitting rather sulkily at one of the small dining tables, both frowning, their dates nowhere to be seen. Has Draco watched, red-head stood up, spoke to Harry quickly, then wandered off in the general direction of the drinks table. Draco, realizing this could be his chance, gathered up his courage and navigated his way through the dancing couples to where Harry sat. Harry looked up when he approached, scowling when he saw who it was.</p><p>“What do you want Malfoy? I see your toad of a date as left you. Has she gone to spend time with someone less git-like?” Harry said bitterly, staring straight ahead at the swaying couples. He was obviously unhappy about his own lack of date.</p><p>“I wanted to…” What did Draco come over here for? What was he supposed to say? Hey so I’m gay and I like you, wanna go to Hogsmeade together? He mentally shook his head, this was Potter, his nemesis. He cleared his throat; Harry was giving him a weird look now, Draco must have been caught up in his thought longer than he thought.</p><p>“I wanted to congratulate you on the first task. You flew really well.” Draco said, may as well try being nice.</p><p>Harry narrowed his eyes, “Really Malfoy? Since when do you congratulate me on anything?”</p><p>“Since…since the Slytherins decided the make a truce.” This was completely bullocks, of course, the Slytherins would never do such a thing, “This competition is about growing friendships between different schools. If we don’t have a civil friendship within our schoolhouses, how can we be expected to make friends outside of them?”</p><p>“Huh.” Harry turned back in his seat, crossed his arms, and continued to glower at the passing couples. Draco sat down next to Harry, making sure he kept a respectable distance between them. He didn’t want to look too intrusive. He decided to strike up conversation again, he wasn’t going to back down. Also, he could see Pansy staring at them from across the room, looking annoyed. Her Beauxbatons date must have left her and Draco didn’t really want to take his place again.</p><p>“So, any idea about the second task yet?” Draco said casually, resting his elbow on the table behind them. Harry turned to glare at Malfoy before returning his gaze to the dance floor.</p><p>“Does the Slytherin truce involve a forced conversation between the two houses?” Harry asked bitterly, “Because I don’t really want to talk to you right now, Malfoy. I’m busy”</p><p>“Busy trying to incinerate a hole in the dance floor with your eyes? C’mon Har – Potter, just talk for a little.” Draco coughed; he’d very nearly called Harry Harry! It looked like he’d noticed too, Harry had turned his body to face Draco now, glaring at him through his round glasses.</p><p>“Did you call me Harry, Malfoy? What are the conditions of this ridiculous truce? Everyone is to be best buddies now?” Harry spat, but he didn’t get up and walk away. That’s a good sign, Draco thought.</p><p>“I – er,” Draco then spotted a red-faced Pansy stalking through the crowds of dancers towards them and panicked. He grabbed Harry’s arm, pulling him up.<br/>“I’ll explain later. Can we go outside for a bit?” he muttered quickly.</p><p>He didn’t wait for Harry’s answer and practically pulled him out of the Great Hall and into the cool night. He walked quickly round of bushes covered in glittering fairies and stopped at a small stone bench by the lake. Harry tugged his arm away and rubbed it, making Draco instantly feel bad.</p><p>“Sorry, I saw Pansy coming.” Draco said, “She didn’t look happy. I was pretty miserable before; she must have been mad.”</p><p>Harry glanced up, “I think I saw Parvati coming our way too. I ditched her.”</p><p>“At least I didn’t ditch Pansy. She ditched me!”</p><p>Harry snorted, then stopped, frowning he looking away. Draco smiled; he was getting somewhere. He stepped back, sitting down on the cold bench. Harry surprised him by sitting down next to him, brushing his leg against Draco’s, causing his stomach to give an involuntary backflip and his smile to widen.</p><p>“So, this truce, I haven’t heard about it. Is it a recent thing?” Harry asked, seemingly unaware of their touching.<br/>Draco racked his brain for some random story he could come up with, “Um…it’s a secret. The Slytherin have decided to…slowly…make friends. We don’t want it to be too…obvious.”</p><p>Harry nodded, “That seems rather unusual. I don’t really believe you, to be honest.” Harry turned his head, smiling. Draco turned his gaze to his lap, fiddling with his wand, casting lumos over and over, making his wand-tip flash. Harry put his hand over Draco’s.</p><p>“Stop that, you’re making me go mad.” Harry said, “Tell me, is this truce really real?”</p><p>Draco hesitated, as much as he wanted to be honest, he also wanted Harry to talk to him, like he was now. “It’s a little bit true, there is one Slytherin that wants a truce.”</p><p>“Who?” asked Harry, oblivious and stupid as always. He still had his hand over Draco’s.</p><p>“Me! Obviously!”</p><p>“Oh, right,” Harry said, removing his hand and sitting back, staring at the bush in front of them. Draco’s heart dropped; he’s definitely put him off. After a few awkward moments of silence, Harry spoke up again.</p><p>“Why do you want to make a truce? The real reason, not the ‘make friends with your school before others’ bollocks.” He said.</p><p>“I’m sick of our bickering. It’s so useless, with all these rumors about Death Eaters and You-Know-You floating around. We could be in the middle of a war any minute and yet all we do is bicker between ourselves.” Draco didn’t tell him the real reason. Why he watched Harry laughing with his friends at dinner, or fumbling for answers in Potions, his face flustered, or how he sat in the clock tower above the courtyard on the weekends, just to watch Harry walk around in jeans. Draco really liked the lack of uniform on the weekend. And the jeans. Potter’s dark-washed skinny jeans.</p><p>“Maybe we should give it a shot,” Harry said, pulling Draco out of his daydreaming.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Have a shot being friends, you git. Do you zone out like this all the time? It’s happened twice tonight already!”</p><p>Draco blushed, “I – I’m just distracted. Those Beauxbatons girls are so pretty.” He lied.</p><p>Harry laughed, throwing his head back. “That’s what you’re distracted about! Well, I must say, they aren’t really my type.” Harry grinned at Draco, causing his heart to leap. Could that mean…no, it couldn’t. Harry just didn’t like the Beauxbatons girls. He still liked girls!</p><p>“Really? I would have thought the Chosen One would get well snatched up by a pretty French girl pretty quickly!”</p><p>“Maybe not a pretty French girl, a pretty French boy might have more of a chance.” Harry said, then quickly looked down, trying to hide his now quickly reddening face, “I can’t believe I said that! I’ve never told anyone before! Sorry Draco, you’re just easy to talk to when you’re not being an arrogant git.”</p><p>Draco couldn’t believe his ears. He did like boys! Maybe even he liked Draco… No, that’s crazy. But he could…</p><p>“Draco!” Draco snapped up at the use of his first name, “You’re doing it again!”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry. I’m just shocked. I didn’t think…” Draco trailed off, “It’s ok, I support you, even if that’s very un-Slytherin.” He grinned, “If it makes you feel any better, I’d like a pretty French boy over a pretty French girl too.”</p><p>Harry looked up, his face still red. He smiled tentatively, and Draco’s heart melted, “You won’t tell anyone, will you? Even Hermione and Ron don’t know yet!”</p><p>“Of course, I won’t!” Draco tapped his chin pensively, pretending to look decisive, “That is, if you don’t tell anyone about me!”</p><p>Harry grinned, “Of course not.”</p><p>“Friends?” Draco asked holding out his hand.</p><p>Harry grinned again and took it, shaking it firmly, “Friends.”</p><p> z<br/>O~O</p><p>A month later, Draco and Harry were closer than ever. Draco couldn’t believe his luck; he spent over half his day by Harry’s side. The Weasel, which Draco had taking slowly to calling Ron, didn’t seem to mind, using the downtime to scowl at a blank roll of parchment, as if willing it to write his essay for him. Once, Draco gave him a quick explanation on a difficult potion they were working on when he was waiting for Harry to get dressed to go outside.</p><p>Hermione, on the other hand, was rather welcoming, and Draco would spend every other weekend in the library with her, studying. Sometimes they were accompanied by a bored Ron and Harry, who wouldn’t stay long. Hermione seemed to notice his gazing at Harry, or his friendly flirting that Harry was oblivious too. Sometimes Draco wondered if she knew.</p><p>His friends, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, were repelled by the Gryffindors and had promptly began to avoid him. It wasn’t as if Draco wanted to talk to them. He definitely didn’t mind the lack of Pansy’s company; she had been all over him this year. Hugging and kissing him constantly even though he showed absolutely no interest in her.</p><p>He now spent the dwindling autumn afternoons lounging by the lake with Harry, who was sometimes joined by Ron and Hermione. They usually talked about the upcoming second task and what the golden egg could possibly hold.</p><p>“Maybe there’s an item in it, something you need to use to do the second task?” Draco wondered, leaning back and resting his head on his hands behind his head.</p><p>“Maybe…Can we talk about something else, Draco? I’m sick of the Triwizard Tournament.” Harry said poking Draco in the ribs.</p><p>“Ouch!” Draco rubbed his side, “Git.”</p><p>“How original!”</p><p>“Doesn’t make it untrue,” Draco said, grinning.</p><p>Draco rolled over and poking Harry back, making him laugh. Draco smirked, and began to tickle Harry, finding all the ticklish spots he’d discovered over the last month. Soon they were writhing on the ground laughing hysterically, both covered in grass. Draco heard a loud cough from above him and he looked up, meeting the eyes of a glaring redhead. Ron. Harry, still giggling, sat up, waving at Ron and Hermione, who had just arrived.</p><p>“Hello,” Draco said politely, trying to play nice. Ron always came to look for them as soon as he gave up on his assignments. Which, unfortunately, was quite often.</p><p>“We just came down to let you know that Cedric’s looking for you Harry,” said Hermione, pulling her Gryffindor scarf tighter and blowing into her hands. Draco’s chest tightened with unnecessary jealousy, Cedric was quite good-looking, even if he was an airhead. He turned to look at Harry, who looked rather thoughtful, as if he was considering something.</p><p>“Okay, we’ll be in in a bit. Thanks, Hermione.” Harry stood up, brushing the grass off his robes. The mention of the other Tournament competitor seemed to cause the mood to drop suddenly.</p><p> z<br/>O~O</p><p>When the four reached the Great Hall Draco peeled off to sit at the Slytherin table for dinner. Last time he tried to sit with Harry at the Gryffindor table Snape came and took fifteen points from Gryffindor, so he’d been careful ever since. He avoided Pansy’s glare and sat next to a pale girl with gold-red hair, Lucinda. He’d taken to sitting next to her because all she did was read under the table and didn’t attempt to make conversation. As he ate, he watched a couple of Durmstrang students sit with his old friends. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to find it hard to understand their accents and ignored them, continuing to stuff their faces with food. Pansy, however, leaned across the tables, chatting no-stop with them all of dinner. She occasionally pointed to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, or Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Draco vaguely wondered what she was saying, but to be honest, he didn’t really care. She could gossip as much as she wanted to a couple of Durmstrang boys, it wasn’t like they were going to be around for long.</p><p>As soon as dinner finished Draco hurried to catch up with Harry to see if Cedric had said anything interesting. He caught the three just outside the library, their heads huddled together.</p><p>“Hey,” Draco said, ignoring Ron’s glare and talking directly to Harry, “Did that Hufflepuff say anything exciting?”</p><p>Harry looked rather lost in thought, his eyes rather unfocused. Fortunately, Hermione spoke up.</p><p>“He said that the prefect’s bathroom was a nice place for a bath, and to take the egg,” Hermione stated matter-of-factly. Draco's thoughts immediately jumped to the possibility that this wasn’t about the Tournament at all. Cedric was straight, right? Draco had seemed his surrounded by flocks of girls, many of which he’d taken to Hogsmeade or out for late-night ‘Quidditch’. Jealously tugged on Draco’s heart again, before he pushed it away. Harry wasn’t his, they were just friends. Unfortunately.</p><p>“Draco?” he was broken out of his thoughts by Harry's voice, “You’re doing it again.”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry.” Draco shook his head, “Harry has to take the egg for a bath? What in the name of Merlin is that going to do?”</p><p>“We’ve no idea,” Harry murmured, thoughtful again, “I’ll give it a go though. It can’t hurt.”</p><p>“I can come with you if you want,” Draco suggested, suddenly excited about the idea of a bath with Harry.</p><p>Ron glared at him and Hermione gave him a skeptical look, but Harry didn’t seem to notice.</p><p>“Sure. Meet you outside the Fat Lady at ten o’clock tonight?”</p><p>“Okay,” Draco agreed, he couldn’t believe his luck, “Well, I’ve got a Transfiguration essay due tomorrow, I’d better get back to my common room.”</p><p>“Bloody hell!” Ron spoke up for the first time, smacking his head, “So have I! Hermione, will you give me a hand? I haven’t even started yet!”</p><p>Hermione huffed, “Only if you promise not to leave it this late next time! I reminded you last night, you know. You said you were too busy playing chess with Harry to worry about ‘silly little essays.’”</p><p>Hermione pulled Harry and Ron into the library, talking no-stop about how they should really be more prepared. Draco waved to Harry, who grinned and waved back.</p><p>“See you tonight!” he called before making his way down to the dungeons.</p><p> z<br/>O~O</p><p>Later that night Draco was hurriedly pulling on a pair of jeans and his well-worn emerald green jumper, trying to be as quiet as possible. He loved his jumper, not because of its Slytherin colour, as many people thought, but because it reminded him of the colour of Harry’s eyes. He sighed, he couldn’t help feeling excited for tonight, even though he knew Harry didn’t like him. He might, an annoying little voice said. Draco shook his head, glancing at his watch, realizing he was running late. He ran quickly down the stair to the common room, out the portrait hole, and up to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Just a second later, the portrait swung open, but only to close again, with no sign of Harry. Weird, he thought. Then he heard a voice behind him.</p><p>“Draco! Over here!”</p><p>He spun around, met by Harry’s floating head. The cloak! Of course, they were using the invisibly cloak. He grinned at Harry’s floating head and walked over, sliding next to Harry, who threw the cloak over their heads. Draco adjusted the fabric so that it covered his feet, he was a couple of inches taller than Harry.</p><p>“Alright, the prefects’ bathroom is on the fifth floor,” Harry whispered, shoving a piece of old parchment in Draco’s hands, “Just hold that for a sec, the egg keeps slipping.”</p><p>Draco looked down, confused. What use was this? Harry rustled around beside him, the golden egg glinting in and out of view. Draco noticed Harry was only wearing his pajamas, striped red and gold pants, and a loose grey t-shirt. Draco wondered what they were going to bathe in. Maybe their boxers? Draco’s heart skipped at the idea.</p><p>“Okay, thanks,” Harry took the parchment back, tapped his wand against it, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”</p><p>Draco watched, amazed, as an intricate map of Hogwarts spread across the paper in sprawling black ink. He leaned closer to Harry, watching as tiny footsteps, labeled with a first and last name, appeared. Most were stationary in the dorm rooms, sleeping.</p><p>“Merlin, Potter. Where on earth did you get this?” Draco asked, awed.</p><p>“Fred and George,” Harry answered quickly, tracing a name across the map, “Filch is in the astronomy tower at the moment so we should be good to make it to the bathroom without running into him.”</p><p>“Okay,” Draco answered absently mindedly, he was watching two second-year Slytherins creep down to the kitchens. He was pulled out of his trance when Harry folded the map shoving it in his pocket.</p><p>“C’mon, I want to get there before sunrise!” Harry said, pulling his arm.</p><p>“Yes, yes I’m coming. Bossy!” Draco said as he speed-walked beside Harry, who was obviously in a hurry.</p><p> z<br/>O~O</p><p>They reached the bathroom not long later, and Harry stopped outside, whispered 'pine fresh' and the door swung open, revealing a large bathroom. The candlelit room was filled with a large bath, which was set in the floor with a large array of different taps at one end. It was the size of a small swimming pool and empty, the marble tiles glistening from the bottom. Moonlight filtered in through the large stained-glass windows. On one wall sat a large portrait of a beautiful mermaid, set in a gold frame. The mermaid was sleeping peacefully, her chest rising and falling. Draco stood still as Harry pulled off the cloak setting it by a pile of fluffy white towels. He really wanted to be a prefect now, just to have the benefit of using this bathroom.</p><p>Harry came over balancing a small pile of towels in one hand and the egg in the other, with a bathrobe hung over each arm. He shoved the pile into Draco’s arms and dumped the bathrobes next to the edge of the bath. Draco dropped the towels next too and followed him over to the many taps. The taps were set with a different jewel, causing the light to jump, making multicolored patterns on the walls. Draco reached forward, turning a tap with a large emerald gemstone on top. With just the slightest nudge came a stream of pine-scented bubbles, all about the size of a blueberry. The bubbles floated to the bottom of the pool where they came to rest. It looked like the bottom of the pool was covered in green moss.</p><p>“So, I guess we just experiment?” Draco asked Harry, excited.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess,” Harry reached forward and turned a tap, causing a steam of sparkling pink water to spurt out, merging with the green bubbles.</p><p>The two were soon having the time of their lives, guessing the taps use and splashing the many scented soaps, bubbles, sprays, foams, and water at each other. The bath filled quite quickly, considering its massive size. Soon the room was filled with a sweet scent, and the pool was filled to the brim with a rainbow of colours. The golden egg lay forgotten on the floor.</p><p>They both stripped down to their boxers, much to Draco’s delight. His heart skipped a beat every time he looked at Harry’s softly muscled chest. He felt like he’d just run a marathon. He ran over to Harry, lifting him up easily and throwing him into the pool. Harry surfaced, laughing and spluttering.</p><p>Draco dove in after him, executing a perfect dive. The water was warm and the pool was deep, it was like diving into a quiet, calm world, filled with multicolored bubbles. He surfaced, gasping a large breath of air. Harry was treading water across from him, a large grin on his handsome face. They both turned to the egg, sitting innocently by the pool, looking rather small for the amount of significance it held.</p><p>Draco swam over to the edge, grabbing the egg. It slipped through his soapy hands, right into the cloudy water.</p><p>“Whoops,” Draco said, turning to Harry, smiling sheepishly, “I’ll get that.”</p><p>He dove downwards, reaching out blindly underwater for the egg. He could feel the marble tiles under his hand, he slid them along the floor till they hit the golden egg. He grabbed it, careful to keep a tight grip, and kicked towards the surface. He broke through the bubbles, holding the egg out to Harry. Harry grinned, placing his hands over Draco’s.</p><p>“So…” Harry said, “We’ve taken the egg for a bath. What happens now?”</p><p>“Maybe you should open it underwater. That’s what the Diggory boy did,” said an airy voice behind them. Both of them jumped, turning around to face a transparent figure rising slowly out of one of the golden taps.</p><p>“Myrtle! You scared us!” Harry was suddenly fumbling for foam to try cover his bare chest. Draco muffled a laugh behind his hand.</p><p>“Go on, give it a go!” said Myrtle, giggling. Harry looked at Draco and nodded. He fumbled with the clasp, his hands slippery, before it opened. It shrieked loudly as usual, ringing in their ears. Draco dropped the egg the cover his ears, and it fell into the water again. Surprisingly, as soon as the egg was submerged, it fell silent. Then came a strange voice, singing a mythical tune. It seemed to come from under the water, from the egg. Draco couldn’t clearly hear what the voice was singing from above the water. He looked over at Harry, who looked very confused, he was staring at the water, his eyes squinting to see through the bubbles.</p><p>“Go on! You’ll be able the hear it better underwater, you know,” said Myrtle, who was giggling behind them, ducking in and out of the walls. Draco nodded, then ducked under, kicking softly to stay submerged. He only heard the last couple of lines of the eerie song.</p><p>But past an hour, the prospect's black,<br/>Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.</p><p>What won’t come back? Will the voice sing again? He wondered, kicking towards the surface again. He surfaced, facing Harry.<br/>“Did you hear it?” Harry asked, and Draco nodded. Then the first notes of the song came muffled through the water again. Sharing a panicked glance with Harry, he ducked down quickly.</p><p>Come seek us where our voices sound,<br/>We cannot sing above the ground,<br/>And while you're searching ponder this;<br/>We've taken what you'll sorely miss,<br/>An hour long you'll have to look,<br/>And to recover what we took,<br/>But past an hour, the prospect's black,<br/>Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.</p><p>Draco surfaced again, gasping for air. What would Harry sorely miss? What were they going to do to it? Who’s taking it? Harry surfaced shortly after him, holding the egg, which was now closed tight. He heard Myrtle giggle annoyingly behind him. The large portrait of the mermaid was now waking up, the singing and screeching of the egg and Myrtle's giggling must have wakened her. Mermaid aren’t really that pretty, Draco thought as he watched the painting flick its golden hair and yawn daintily atop her rock. His father said mermaids were ugly creatures that lived in murky lakes or rivers. Not on top of a pretty rock with nothing to do but flirt at passing visitors. 'We cannot sing above the ground', the line played through Draco’s head, he felt like he was missing something. The mermaid battered her eyelashes at his, curling a strand of hair around her finger. Then it hit him.</p><p>“Mermaids!” he spoke aloud, and Harry turned to look at him.</p><p>“Mermaid? I –” realization dawned on Harry’s face. Draco felt as though he could see the cogs turning in his head, “Is there mermaids in the lake?”</p><p>“Father said there were rumors there was, but I’m not sure,” Draco turned to Myrtle, who was flying in and out of the portrait of the mermaid, much to the painting's annoyance.</p><p>“Yes?” she said loftily.</p><p>“Are there mermaids in the lake?”</p><p>“Oh, very quick! Much better than the Diggory boy. He was here for hours!”</p><p>“Myrtle! Are there mermaids in the lake!”</p><p>“Yes, yes of course. Dumbledore can speak to them you know,” she said, floating higher and higher towards the ceiling, “He tells them not to come the close to the surface, so they don’t scare the first years. They prefer the deeper water anyway.”</p><p>Draco turned to Harry, who looked rather pale.</p><p>“An hour long you'll have to look,” Harry repeated, his skin turning a little green,“I can’t breathe underwater for an hour!”</p><p>“We can find a way, Harry,” Draco said, pulling him over to the edge, “I’ve heard of charms and things. We can do some research in the library.”</p><p>Harry pulled himself out of the water, giving Draco a lovely view of his chest, shiny with water droplets. He grinned, despite the situation. Harry gave him a funny look.</p><p>“What are you smiling at? Hoping I’ll drown in the lake?” he asked.</p><p>“Of course, Potter,” Draco said, pulling himself up too and grabbing a towel. Harry held out his hand to take it, but Draco pulled away.</p><p>“Get your own towel, I’m not your house elf!”</p><p>Harry looked up at him, his eyes big, “This may be my last chance for you to hand me a towel, Draco! Before I drown in the lake!”</p><p>Draco laughed, “I wasn’t planning on taking any more baths with you anyway, even if you do survive.” Well, he’d like to, but Harry didn’t need to know that.</p><p>“Shame, shame,” Harry reached over Draco, his arm skimming his bare chest, a grabbed a fluffy towel from the pile, “I was.”</p><p>Harry quickly covered his mouth with his hand, blushing. Draco’s heart skipped a beat and he grinned, “The truth comes out at last, Potter. The famous Potter wants to take a bath with Draco Malfoy,” he said, teasing, “Scandalous, I know.”</p><p>Harry laughed, his face still flushed. He’s embarrassed, thought Draco. That means he cares. He might even – Draco cut himself off. It wasn’t going the happen. Harry leaned back; Draco realized he never moved from stretching over him to take the towel.</p><p>“Shut up, Malfoy,” Harry said, seeming to force his voice to sound normal.</p><p>“Make me,” the words came out of Draco’s mouth before he could stop them. He felt himself blush this time. Harry flushed even more; he was now a cute pink colour. Draco couldn’t help but think about how Harry's chest was still bare, or how his long legs were stretched out in front of him, or how his black hair was even spikier and out-of-control than usual, or how both of them were only wearing their boxers. Harry leaned closer to him, his breath brushing over Draco’s lips. Then, to Draco’s surprise, he closed the gap, pressing his warm lips against Draco’s. Draco, surprised, froze, causing Harry to quickly pull back and mumble an apology</p><p>“No, no. I –” Draco stuttered then pulled Harry’s face back to his, kissing him firmly. Harry seemed to melt into the kiss, weaving his arms around Draco’s waist and pulling him close. Harry kissed him back just as hard as Draco. Harry’s kissing Draco, Draco’s kissing Harry, they were kissing each other. Draco’s brain was on a constant loop. Harry’s lips were soft, and his body was warm. Draco pushed his fingers through Harry’s hair, something he’d wanted to do since he met Harry. They were interrupted by a loud giggle from behind the bathroom stalls. They broke apart.</p><p>“Myrtle!” Draco yelled, only to be met by a happy shriek and a loud flush of water as she exited through the pipes. He sighed, dropping his hands to Harry’s waist. Then he snapped his head up, grinning at Harry.</p><p>“Should we head back? We can figure out the rest in the morning,” Draco said, though he didn’t really want to move, he rather happy where he was.</p><p>“Yeah, I suppose,” Harry said, suddenly shy, “Listen, there is something I want to figure out tonight actually.”</p><p>Draco, suddenly scared, grabbed a towel, and stood up. Now was the bit where Harry said he never liked him and was just tired or something. Any excuse.</p><p>“Yeah,” Draco said softly, “What is it?”</p><p>“Doyoulikeme?” Harry said quickly, bluntly.</p><p>“Yes,” Draco hesitated, “I like you in that way.”</p><p>Harry looked up at him, “Really?”</p><p>Draco sat down again; a towel wrapped around his waist. He leaned closer to Harry, maybe this wasn’t what he thought it was.</p><p>“Yes. I really like you,” Draco said, wrapping his arms around Harry. Harry’s eyes lit up.</p><p>“I really like you too,” Harry said, “In that way.”</p><p>Draco laughed, as if he needed clarifying. Harry looked so cute then, his lips and cheeks pink, his hair sticking up on end from Draco's handling. He touched it now, running his hand through it again. Harry kissed him again, climbing onto Draco’s lap. They were interrupted again by Myrtle’s loud giggling. Draco pulled back, laughing when Harry continued to lean forward. He placed his fingers on Harry’s lips pushing him back softly.</p><p>“Let’s head back, Harry. Myrtle’s not going to leave,” Draco said.</p><p>Harry stuck out his bottom lip, pouting.</p><p>“C’mon, it’s getting pretty late anyway,” Draco said, pulling Harry up and handing him a bathrobe.</p><p>“Okay…” Harry got up slowly.</p><p>They got dressed, shoving the towels and bathrobes back into the shelves and covering themselves in the invisibility cloak before heading out. They got back to the Slytherin dungeons fairly easily, with only a near run-in with Filch and Draco nearly get stuck in a trick staircase, but Harry warned him just in time. They reached the portrait of Salazar Slytherin far too quickly for Draco’s liking.</p><p>“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” Harry asked, fiddling with the cloak. Draco pulled him forward by the collar of his pajamas, kissing him. Harry kissed him back softly, a goodnight kiss. They pulled away, both smiling.</p><p>“Night Harry. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Draco whispered before slipping out from under the cloak and opening the portrait hole with the password. He looked back at the empty space behind him, grinned, and stepped inside. He walked up to his dormitory in a daze of happiness, accidentally walking into a dorm of first years. They all looked at him startled, they were sitting in a circle on the floor with a pile of sweets and pastries. He grinned; he couldn’t stop smiling.</p><p>“Just checking on ya’,” he said, stepping out and taking the stairs two at a time to his dorm, collapsing on his bed. He couldn’t believe his luck. He slept soundly that night, his dreams filled with sunlight and spiky black hair.</p>
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